 I want to talk about something that is a piece of advice that is often given to guys looking to up their style game, but that I personally kind of think is a bad idea. You see it in magazines, you see it on YouTube, you see it in hastily written captions on your favorite influencers' Instagram posts. What is it? What is this thing that I just really don't like? Well, you're going to find out after this. You're watching He Spoke Style. I'm Brian Sakawa. If you're new here at He Spoke Style, we are dedicated to giving you all the tips, knowledge and inspiration you need to help you dress well, feel more confident and unlock your potential. Now, I'm pretty sure some of you are going to disagree with me here on this particular issue, which is totally fine, but please hear me out and listen to my rationale. So the thing that I personally don't like, especially when it's put in the context of someone who is just getting into style, just starting to make that transformation into thinking about how they dress and trying to do better, the thing that you will hear as a device, as a method to having more style, to having better style is to add a pop of color. This is something that I personally do not like. And right now I'm going to tell you why. Let me start with a little bit of a story. So typically what happens when you get to that point and you make that decision that you are going to make a change in how you dress, you're going to put some more time and effort into it, you're going to make that commitment. It's a hard shift to make, not only in deciding what you need in your wardrobe and where you're going to get it and how much you're going to spend, but I think the hardest part is sort of dealing with everyone around you. They're used to seeing you dress one way and then all of a sudden, if you show up in a nice suit or even just a very simple, well-put-together business casual look like nothing fancy, it's a really hard pivot. And the biggest issue with that is your personal confidence and how much confidence you have as you make this change. Now I'm going to say that in general, because it's a new territory for you that confidence is probably going to be on the lower side. You're just getting into it. You don't have the confidence and conviction yet to know if it works, if you're wearing the right things, if they go together, if they fit, if the shoes match, what color socks should you have on. It's a lot to have on your mind. So it's understandable that you might not feel totally confident, which can make you self-conscious. And that is really the main issue here, being self-conscious. Now how does this relate to Pops of Color? Well, if you're feeling self-conscious at all, the absolute last thing that you want to do is to draw more attention to yourself. So adding a pop of color, something bright to your outfit, is going to make you stand out and will call attention to itself and you. It's something that says, look at me. So I'm talking about like a bright, colorful pocket square, red socks or yellow socks or orange socks or teal socks, a loud, skinny floral print tie. These are all things that are going to attract attention and this is like red meat to the haters. So my recommendation, if you are just starting to think about improving how you dress, don't listen to the magazines. Don't listen to YouTube. Forget what your favorite influencers are telling you on Instagram. Just keep it simple, keep it basic, learn how that works and get your confidence level up. Now, I do want to talk about two reasons why I think the pop of color thing is something that a lot of guys kind of buy into. One is that, at least in my experience talking to friends who want to kind of level up in that way, is that they don't want to be boring and they tend to think that dressing in a classic way isn't exciting enough for them. And I can definitely understand that mindset. Like, you know, if you're like me, I'm someone who when I get into something, I really get into it. And oftentimes a simple option where the answer is so obvious and easy, doesn't really track with the desire to get really deep down into it. But what I've realized over time and I've definitely made my share of mistakes in the past is that kind of ironically, it also takes confidence to just be okay with dressing really simply. I mean, what's wrong with it being easy? We don't need to reinvent the wheel here. Focus on more important things like fit, like fabric, and the little subtle intricacies that really make things interesting. Now, the other thing that's at play here, and I was talking to my wife about this the other day because we both think about and put time into how we dress. And she's super chic, but her approach is more focused on expression. She really uses fashion as a way to say something to the world about herself. I do the same in that my choices tell the world something about me, but the difference is that she looks for these very unique, very cool details that kind of become the focal point of whatever outfit she's putting together. Listen, if you wanna express yourself and the way you feel like doing it is through some colorful tie or pocket square or socks, I'm not gonna tell you not to, but I don't think you're necessarily the person who has watched this far in the video. Yes, it can be a way to express yourself, but if you are someone who is just getting into this, I would look for other more subtle ways to express something. So for example, maybe your watch or a monogram on your shirt or even your fragrance, something that makes you feel special, like you've gone the extra mile, but not anything that really calls attention to itself. So now you're probably thinking like, okay, well, you're telling me not to do the pop of color thing and to just do simple outfits. Well, show me what simple and easy and stylish looks like. Well, if you click on that playlist right next to my head, there are seven or eight videos there that are a great place to start.